Vegan food list: Family favourites you didn’t know were vegan

This vegan food list is perfect if you've recently turned vegan and your keen to find foods you can still eat! From crumpets to cake mixes, you'll be surprised what family favourites you can still buy...

This vegan food list will save anyone who has recently turned vegan. If you or anyone in your family is vegan then you’ll know first-hand how challenging it can be to find family favourites that are suitable for your cupboards and fridge.

Which is why you might be surprised to see just how many supermarket staples are actually vegan-friendly!

If you’re a vegan veteran, you might already know a few of these clever cheats – and if you’re just starting out then we hope this helps to make food shopping that little bit easier.

We’ve tried hard to make sure this list is as accurate as possible, scouring ingredients lists and manufacturers’ guarantees, but it’s worth double checking the ingredients when you pick them up as recipes can change.

Every time a new vegan product is launched we’ve included it below too so you can stay up-to-date with all the snacks, treats and items which are vegan friendly.

At the time of writing, none of these products contained animal products, and we hope they stay that way…

Sharethrough (Mobile)

Vegan ice cream is another sweet treat that has exploded recently, with lots of options to choose from. The latest launch comes from Magnum, who have launched two flavours of vegan-friendly ice cream. Available from Tesco in packs of three for £3.89, you can buy an almond version or classic chocolate. Gone are the days of one soya flavour and here are the days of vegan Magnums and Ben & Jerry’s! See below for some more vegan ice cream inspiration…

Ben and Jerry’s Non-Dairy pints

Iceland Smoothie Ice Lollies

Swedish Glace

Booja-Booja

Tesco raspberry sorbet

Sainsbury’s mango sorbet

Vegan condiments

Unilever

These dips are suitable for vegans so you can dunk your fries with peace of mind! Hellmann’s launched their vegan mayonnaise in American in 2016 and thanks to the popularity it’s coming to the UK from early October in Tescos. Other supermarkets are thought to be stocking it at a later date.

Full list of vegan condiments:

Heinz Tomato Ketchup

Hellmann’s vegan mayonaise

Tabasco

Sriracha hot sauce

Soy sauce

Hummus

HP Brown sauce

Mustard

Vegan drinks

Most of the big name fizzy drinks available in supermarkets are vegan-friendly, with just a few exceptions, namely Lilt, Lilt Zero, Kia-Ora and Schweppes Orange Squash, which all potentially carry traces of fish gelatin. If it’s a hot drink you’re after, then we have good news too – there are plenty of hot chocolate drinks that happen to be vegan. Mixed with warm almond milk, soy milk or even boiling water, they taste rich and creamy without the need for dairy. Some of our favourite vegan drinks are:

Coca-Cola

Diet Coca-Cola

Robinson’s squash

Freddo hot chocolate

Cadbury drinking chocolate

Tesco 100% pressed apple and raspberry juice

Tesco pure orange juice with bits

Tesco Free From almond milk

Vegan cheese

Cheese is one of the things often cited by new vegans as something they really miss. While the traditional milk-based cheeses are out the window, there are plenty of alternatives to help you get your cheese fix. Most of the big supermarkets stock vegan cheese-alternatives and these are some of our favourites:

Vegan bread

Real bread is made with just four ingredients; flour, water, yeast and salt, so look out for quality bread from the bakery as an excellent vegan option. Beware some enriched breads like brioche or buns contain butter and egg yolks, but there are plenty of vegan alternatives. We like these vegan breads for quick and easy breakfasts and lunches:

Warburtons crumpets

Hovis best of both

Tesco wholemeal pittas

Sainsbury’s Taste The Difference ancient grains bread

Vegan store cupboard ingredients

Sometimes it can feel like choosing to eat more ethically can be tricky at times, but there are plenty of time-saving options available if you know where to look. One of our favourite discoveries is that instant vegan gravy is a thing (thanks, Bisto!) and that Sainsbury’s has sorted out that craving for something quick and filling. These are our top picks of vegan store cupboard staples:

Sainsbury’s instant chicken noodles

Smash

Bisto gravy granules

Asda tomato ketchup

Asda Smartprice mild curry cooking sauce

Asda sweet and sour cooking sauce

Asda hearty vegetable soup

Vegan pastry

There’s no need to get out the weighing scales and make your own pastry next time you fancy tucking into some vegan pastry; there are a number of ways to get your crust-fix without getting your hands dirty. From sweet tarts to savoury pies, this lovely lot means a satisfying solution to a quick pastry-based meal:

Jus-Rol pastry

Mrs Crimble’s pastry mix

Tesco ready rolled puff pastry

Vegan spreads

There’s very little sadder than a dry piece of toast, so we’ve picked out the best vegan spreads. We’ve included a couple of treat toast toppings as well as a reliable butter substitute that can be found in most big supermarkets:

Flora dairy free spread

Biscoff spread

Nature’s Store hazelnut and chocolate spread

Asda crunchy wholenut peanut butter

Tesco Free From original style spread

Iceland Vitalite dairy free sunflower spread

Iceland Sun-Pat crunchy peanut butter

Sainbury’s Deliciously Freefrom spread

M&S dairy free low fat sunflower spread

M&S avocado spread

Vegan pizza

If there’s one thing that leaves a hole in your life if you choose to become vegan, it’s pizza. This delicious combination of crisp dough and rich tomato sauce has become one of Britain’s favourite freezer meals, but just because you can’t eat cheese, it doesn’t mean you have to miss out on a slice (or five) of pizza. Asda offers a build-your-own service at their in-store counters with the bases being vegan-friendly. This means you can pick plenty of veggie toppings, leave the cheese to one side and you’re onto a delicious dinner. VBite offers frozen ready-prepped pizzas (which include vegan cheese!) and Napolina offers frozen vegan pizza bases that you can throw toppings on in minutes too. As a recap, our favourite vegan pizzas are:

Asda build-your-own pizza

VBite frozen Cheezly and tomato pizza (available from Ocado)

Napolina large pizza bases

Vegan yogurt

Yogurt is a pretty easy dairy ingredient to substitute in your diet thanks to a whole range of alternatives readily available in the shops. Some popular bases are soya, almond and coconut, so it’s just up to you which you prefer the flavour of. These three favourites on our vegan food list are perfect for blending into smoothies for a rich finish or for stirring through curries to add creaminess:

The Coconut Collaborative dairy free natural coconut yogurt

Alpro almond yogurt

Alpro dairy free vanilla

Tesco Free From natural yogurt alternative

Tesco Free Frem blueberry yoghurt alternative

Tesco Free From raspberry and passion yoghurt alternative

Co Yo coconut yogurt

Nush cashew milk yogurt

Vegan jelly

If you’re a jelly fan then rejoice, there are plenty of alternatives to animal-based gelatin sheets or powder. One of our favourites is agar, which is derived from seaweed and sets liquid to the perfect wobble, meaning you can turn your favourite juice into a dessert in no time. If you prefer the ready-made variety, lots of Hartley’s ready to eat pots are suitable for vegans and Wholefoods does tasty vegan jelly powders too:

Hartley’s ready to eat blackcurrant jellies

Just Wholefoods jelly crystals

Tesco orange flavoured jelly and mandarin pieces

Sainsbury’s mandarin jelly

Sainsbury’s raspberry jelly

M&S raspberry jellies

M&S mojito jelly

Vegan chocolate

There’s no need to give up sweet treats on a vegan diet as there are lots of choices in the supermarkets for dairy-free chocolate. Most of the options are dark, but some brands now use coconut oil to lighten their chocolate and give a rich, melting texture similar to traditional milk chocolate. Some of our favourite chocolate fixes are:

Booja-Booja dairy free truffles

Green & Black’s dark chocolate

Cadbury Bournville

Hotel Chocolat Gianduja Bombe Selector

Sainsbury’s Deliciously Freefrom chocolate bar

Vegan cake

Believe it or not, a lot of readymade cake mixes and icings are free from eggs and dairy, so can be made vegan by substituting the milk or butter in the method with vegan substitutes. If you’re looking for egg substitutes then we can help with that, we’ve written a whole healthy baking guide on it! If you’re keen to make something to have with a cuppa this afternoon then this is our favourite, most easily available, choice:

Betty Crocker cake mixes and icings

Vegan crisps

Believe it or not, a lot of meaty flavoured crisps are actually entirely meat free, which makes them a great choice for vegans who every now and then get a pang for something a little naughty. We love these three varieties for their crunch and strong savoury flavours:

Vegan biscuits

There’s nothing like dunking a biscuit into a tea or coffee come 11am, and you’d be surprised at just how many of the biccies on the shelves are suitable for vegans. The top three on our vegan food list had to be these guys thanks to our combined love of chocolate and nostalgia:

Oreos

Belvita breakfast biscuits

Chocolate chip Hobnobs

Fox’s Party Rings

Asda Free From fruit and oat cookies

Tesco cookie cream biscuits

McVite’s ginger nuts

McVite’s rich tea biscuits

Vegan treats

Vegan treats can be hard to get a hold of without having to trawl through lists of ingredients on the backs of packs. This lovely lot though are some of our favourite go-to vegan treats to pick up when we’re out and about:

Asda Free From caramel rice squares

Unfrosted Pop Tarts (Blueberry, Strawberry and Brown sugar-cinnamon)

Sainsbury’s fizzy fangs

Sainsbury’s flying saucers

M&S lemon mint gum

M&S mocktail jellies

M&S cola bottles

Vegan cereal

We love anything quick, filling and tasty – which means cereal had to feature on our vegan food list. Just add a plant milk! Whether you’re a religious breakfast eater or prefer a bowl before bed, these three household favourites are suitable for vegans (and pretty tasty to boot):

Weetabix

Coco Shreddies

Asda blueberry wheaties

Vegan desserts

Video of the Week

There’s no need to give up your favourite vices if you’re following a vegan diet; pud can still very much be on the menu thanks to a few famous brands keeping their dessert recipes free of any animal products. Our favourite combo? Apple crumble and Tesco’s custard made with soya milk. Delicious! Here are our top picks:

Aunt Bessie’s Bramley apple crumble

Mr Kipling Treacle Tart

Tesco custard powder

M&S summerfruit compote

Do you have a favourite product that doesn’t feature on our vegan food list? Let us know in the comments below and we’ll add it in so everyone can share the joy.